OTTAWA — Think of wine from Argentina, and you probably think of malbec. Although wines from Argentina have been on the LCBO’s shelves for years, it wasn’t until the arrival of malbec — and not just any malbec, but FuZion malbec, a couple of years ago — that Agentina really took off.

It was waiting to happen. Argentina has been one of the world’s biggest wine producers for a century and more, but nearly all the wine was drunk locally. When the very high per capita domestic wine consumption fell off, producers began to look for international markets. Argentina became a major player in the world of wine, and malbec kicked its game up to another level.

This was malbec made in a popular, easy-drinking style: full of fruit, easy on the acid and tannins, and with a little residual sugar. Malbec was the new shiraz.

I’ll be writing more on malbec later, in advance of World Malbec Day (April 17). Right now, let’s note that Argentina produces far more than malbec. In fact, I’ve long been more impressed with the cabernet sauvignons than the malbecs; it seemed to me that the cabernets offer more complexity and better balance than the everyday malbecs.

Another red that impressed me on a recent trip to Argentina is bonarda. It’s an Italian variety, used mostly in Italy for blending. But a number of Argentine producers are making 100-per-cent bonardas that show not only solid fruit, but complexity and a really juicy texture. It’s another example (like malbec itself) of Argentina rescuing a European grape variety from relative obscurity. Bonarda, by the way, makes at least one delicious sparkling red wine — less intense and more drinkable and food-friendly than most of the sparkling shirazes we see.

And let’s not forget the whites. There are plenty of chardonnays and pinot grigios on the Argentine list, but one that’s really interesting is torrontes. I joked to an Argentine audience that Torrontes would be a hard sell in Canada because it’s too similar to “Toronto,” and that everyone outside the GTA hates Toronto. But look for this variety, anyway. It generally delivers lovely fruit flavours with good acidity.

On most Argentine wine labels, you’ll see the Mendoza appellation, the source of about three-quarters of Argentina’s wine (other regions include Patagonia, San Juan and Cafayate).

Mendoza is a huge, sprawling, water-challenged region that’s subdivided into smaller regions not mentioned nearly often enough. Some are located at higher altitudes, as the land climbs toward the Andes, that promote higher acidity in the grapes. Think of them as wines with altitude.

There’s a world of wine in Argentina, and we’re starting to see more of it, with an expanded range in the LCBO and regular releases through Vintages. These wines tend to be well priced, and they’re well worth looking for.

TILIA TORRONTES 2010

Look for lovely, concentrated aromatics here, leading to full, pungent and fruity flavours integrated with bright acidity. This works very well with slightly spicy dishes (think Thai) made with pork, poultry and seafood.

13.5-per-cent alcohol; $12.95 (186403)

LA LINDA SYRAH 2009

The flavours here are quite intense, decently complex, and solid from start to finish. The acidity contribute to a tangy, fresh texture, and it’s a good choice for red meats, as well as to pork and hearty poultry dishes. 14.4-per-cent alcohol; $12.95 (223651)

NORTON CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2010

This is a straightforward, uncomplicated cabernet that goes well with red meat dishes, as well as spicy sausages, and burgers. The flavours are solid and concentrated and the fruit-acid balance is good. 13.5-per-cent alcohol; $10.95 (589556)

FUZION 'ALTA' RESERVA CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2010

This cabernet sauvignon delivers quite intense flavours, with decent complexity, and a tangy texture. Dry and medium weight, it goes well with grilled and roasted red meats, as well as hearty stews. 13.5-per-cent alcohol; $9.95 (207357)

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